ISLAMABAD: In preparation for a potential Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest at D-Chowk, a massive security operation will see 4,000 police officers deployed across key points in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
PTI founder Imran Khan has called for the protest on October 4 (Friday), prompting Islamabad’s security agencies to implement strict measures. In Rawalpindi, police and relevant agencies have been placed on high alert, conducting raids to apprehend both known and unidentified PTI leaders and activists linked to protests on September 28.
Sources indicate that more than 150 PTI leaders and workers have been arrested so far. The Rawalpindi police have been assigned special tasks to manage the upcoming protest, with plans to seal off major entry points between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Locations such as Rawat Chowk, Khanna Bridge on the Islamabad Expressway, Gulzar-e-Quaid, and Faizabad Interchange will be fortified with police barricades and containers starting Thursday night.
CPO Rawalpindi Khalid Hamdani confirmed that all necessary security arrangements have been finalized to ensure law and order. Over 4,000 police officers will be stationed across major routes and entry/exit points, and specialized teams will be on standby to address any disruptions. Legal action will be taken against those damaging public or private property.
CPO Hamdani reiterated that any threat to public peace or property would not be tolerated, and urged parents to prevent their children from engaging in unlawful activities. He also highlighted the security response during the September 28 protests, where over 30 locations in Rawalpindi were blocked and 34 police checkpoints were set up.
Following those protests, PTI founder Imran Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur were charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act along with 400 unidentified activists. Arrests are ongoing.
